THE NHS in Merseyside is in “excellent” shape and treating patients faster than ever, the Health Secretary said today – rejecting warnings of a growing cash crisis.

Andrew Lansley was releasing figures revealing waiting times have continued to tumble at most hospital trusts, with the vast majority of patients treated within 18 weeks.

The improving trusts include Wirral Hospital, where 92.3% of overnight patients received surgery within 18 weeks in March – the key benchmark – a huge leap from just 80.8% a year earlier.

Aintree Hospitals (up from 86.6% to 94.7%), Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (90.2% to 93.6%), St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals (90.3% to 94.2%) and the Countess of Chester (87.8% to 93.4%) are also treating more patients quickly.

The picture was marred by slower treatments at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals trust, the area’s busiest, where only 90.6% of patients were treated within 18 weeks – down from 94.1%.

And, despite improvement, the Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery still falls below the 90% mark, with 87% of patients treated in time.

Nevertheless, speaking to the ECHO, Mr Lansley said his first “annual report” would show an NHS in rude health – despite the doom-mongers who claim a £20bn cash squeeze has placed it in peril.

The Health Secretary said: “The performance has been excellent and credit for that goes to NHS staff. If you look at waiting times, for example, the average wait was eight weeks – which is lower than at the last general election.

“That’s really important for patients. They increasingly know they will get treatment in line with their right under the NHS Constitution, which means treatment within 18 weeks.”

Mr Lansley will hope to stamp on growing fears that orders to find £20bn of “efficiency savings” – combined with the disruption of the controversial NHS shake-up – are punishing patients.

The number of patients waiting more than six weeks for vital diagnostic tests has risen sharply in Merseyside, previous figures have shown.

But, today, Mr Lansley was also releasing statistics pointing to falling “superbug” infections, fewer mixed-sex wards, and more people being treated by NHS dentists.

And he was revealing the NHS made £5.8bn of savings in 2011-12, adding: “We are on track to make up to £20bn of savings.

“Those are not cuts – they are savings available for reinvestment in the NHS.”